The Life and Death of Kurt Knispel
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- čas přidán 30. 10. 2018
- Hello and welcome to The AceDestroyer! This episode is all about Kurt Knispel. The most successful tank ace in History. During the Second World War, he racked up an impressive amount of 168 victories. He served in machines like the Panzer IV, Tiger I and Tiger II. Not much is known about this tank Ace. Learn more in this video. Don’t forget to like and subscribe if you liked it.
Information:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Kn...
Ligne de front No. 66, Ligne de front is a French magazine which mostly focusses on the History of the Second World War. It is an excellent read, but sadly enough, it is only in French. Luckily for me I can understand a good bit of French. www.ligne-front.com/
Media:
All pictures are from google images and Wikipedia.
www.google.be/search?q=kurt+k...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudeten...
I do not own any of the footage all Video footage is from CZcams, mostly PublicResourceOrg and Die Deutsche Wochenshau
/ publicresourceorg
• Video
Music:
QUEEN OF THE SKIES by Nicolai Heidlas Music / nicolai-heidlas Creative Commons - Attribution 3.0 Unported- CC BY 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music promoted by Audio Library • Video
Voyeur - Jingle Punks • Voyeur - Jingle Punks ...
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Kind regards,
The AceDestroyer
As a boy my father told me stories of Knispel, Michael Wittmann, Rommel and Kurt Meyer. Those stories came with much feeling of gallantry for a child. I was given the models of their tanks to build and paint.
Your father sounds amazing
And ill love to see my tanks real tiny
Rommel plotted AGAINST Hitler as far as I concerned..and committed suicide rather than a disgraceful firing squads
erwin rommel
haha
damn you're spoiled
@@hermanman8235 I don't think that's true. After his failure in Africa and D-day he got a message from the German secret police to commit suicide or his family would be taken and in return he would receive a hero's funeral.
I am Russian, and I can say this, God bless this man. He brought honor to the ancient practice of war. I respect him for not only his abilities as a tank operator, but as a man. A human being. Rest easy.
Thanks man 😎
That's beautiful. I love all my brothers, and sisters be them German, Russian, Chinese, or Mexican. These wars only set the tone for more wars, and the provocation comes from money. The financing of war for profit and control. You can thank Talmudic ideology for all wars especially the Napoleonic wars, right through WW1, and WW2, and the endless presence of NATO and the United States military in the middle east....they will say it's all about "fighting terrorists"....but some of us know it's all about Israel's "security" blanket. Without the USA, Israel would just be a desert. Since the currency is owned and controlled by the "same people" who share allegiance to that land, Their Problems are OUR problems just like their enemies are OUR enemies.
Дружище этот человек пришел на нашу землю в составе войск чьей задачей было уничтожение нашего государство, порабощение и умерщвление наших собратьев, и преращение наших земель в свои. Каким бы ассом он не был, он был убийцей и врагом, и ся его доблесть есть не что иное как насилие направленное на уничтожение советского-русского государства и людей, истории, будущего. Думаю, что время притупляет раны, но ты возьми и почитай майнкампф, почитай материалы нюрнбергского трибунала, почитай... и вся твои благословения скорее всего испаряться... я от думаю, что этот курт был ублюстким нацистом, плюнул бы на его могилу, все эти благораспекания тут в комментариях, какое жалкое зрелище. Ну для всех этих евро вояк это еще понятно, и для американцев понятно, но ты))
@@kesar23 You can hardly call this man a "true believer" in Nazi ideology if he'd defend a Russian prisoner. I'm not defending the Germans for invading the Soviet Union, but laying the blame at this man's feet and calling him a murderer seems like a stretch of the imagination. He was a soldier fighting for his country.
@@kesar23 I understand you full. I do not have bad feelings when Ii ww Germans are glorified. But he was not a committed nazi. The true is he was probably proffesional.Just like we must admit that Wehrmacht was very well organized army. Although the aurhor should mention that Tigers were better on long distance shoting not only thanks to the tank crew. Best regards from Poland.
He was born 3km away from my home. Theres small village in the woods, with a tiny church. Between 20 crosses ( mostly old germans ) is also his. Small iron cross with a photo without a name. Not much people knows about the grave, but he always have fresh flowers and mostly the candle is burning there.
Can you share the location on google maps?
@@RVoogt www.google.com/maps/place/H%C5%99bitov+Salisov,+Salisov+3,+793+76+Zlat%C3%A9+Hory/@50.2761459,17.3366816,16z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x4711ecb640e76c2b:0x7a29c25fa4bcf4d5?hl=cs-cz
@@babyfartmcgeezax8826 Thank you!
Are you Czech?
I am glad ppl take good care of his grave ❤
I love hearing about compassionate stories like the intervention between the SS guard and the Russian soldier .. my grandfather was in Russian 5th guards army he was captured close to Kharcof .by SS . Anyone who could not fit in the truck for transportation was taken away and shot . My grandpa and 2 other Russians couldn’t fit on the truck each one was assigned an SS soldier to be executed by . Gramps eyes locked on his assassin’s searching for some compassion. He was marched a good 3 clicks and then told to stop and then ordered to turn around and face the rifle . He told me that he said his prayers twice out loud. The SS guard aimed just above his head and fired quickly loaded another round and fired at the same spot. Gramps could not believe that he was not shot ! He was purposely missed the next stunning thing that happened was the German was pointing in a direction and told to Run!!! He did, grateful to be alive he ran until he collapsed. He got back to his unit and during the Battle for Berlin he prevented slaughters by intervening and accepting surrenders . Kharma for Gramps . He lived to be 92 , he used to always say that it is a very dangerous time when most of your population has not experienced war .
Ron Lawson "he used to always say that it is a very dangerous time when most of your population has not experienced war " Your Grandfather was a wise man.
It is common thing/ Most of soldiers don't want to be a killers
@@Fighter-ff5xl I believe that its more common for victims not wanting to be murdered, used for medical experiments, used to make lamp shades and burnt in concentration camp furnaces. And by the way just what is your argument? A soldier who does not want to be a killer but kills is innocent???? That's a fuck wits excuse, the Nazis were murderers its in their MUTANT GERMANIC GENES.
@@aesop8694 wtf? They were told by commanders to shot them. Solider didnt have fault.
@@aesop8694 dude, do you know that Germany isn't the only country doing war crimes? America threw down atom bombs in Japan and killed million of civilians. Russians shot every prisoner of war and raped some million women. American and British air force completely burnt down German cities like Dresden and Hamburg, where some 100.000 civilians died. Did you ever hear that the winner writes the history? They all lied to their war crimes and said all fault has Germany until today
And most people believe them, like you. Makes me sad
Behind every tiger ace is a excellent tank crew. Thanks
@John Cornell A lot of them tend to say it was the radio operator actually.
The same Commander and Gunner were always set on the same tank, so they stayed together even if they got a new tank. Driver, loader and radio operator were changed.
@John Cornell That would likely be because of how fragile the running gear and propulsion systems of the Tigers could be. After all, the tank can't kill anything if it can't get to the battle and a driver that knows how to keep the tank running and in working order would be invaluable in a tank like the Tiger. After all, the gunner doesn't really have to worry about the gun misbehaving when he's aiming the legendary 88mm cannon.
nope.. a good oil for sure
Nicko78 What do you mean by “Thanks”?
Decency and professionalism. Respect for the Man is warranted.
Indeed; and may I add...war SUCKS!
Although I don't really know Kurt Knispel I do think many soldiers and airmen fighting the allies should be recognized for their decency and professionalism as warriors in a time when it was dangerous to do so. It is very hard to recognize these soldiers because of what they were fighting for was not good or decent.
Yeah, fighting for the Nazis, lots of respect and decency.
I'd have buggered off to Switzerland than fight for those pricks.
Ive heard lots of respects for Nazis. What respect do you have towards Russians?
@@Jin-Ro Yeah, yeah, you "would have" done so many things, little boy xD
I live in the Czech Republic, so if I'm ever going to Brno, Knispel's resting place is on my visit list.
@sanjay puranik run it through google translate
I live just a few kilometers from Salisov - the home village of Kurt Knispel. Kind of funny that most people here have no idea who the man was.
Thanks you !!! I am German! Thank you for giving respect to a brave soldier ......
I'll go there to piss on his grave.
@@dougrobbins5367 Vollpfosten
Tank crew "Were hit, everybody bail!!!"
Knipsel "I'm just beginning to be a badass"
I have the utmost respect for this honourable soldier. My Grandfather fought Italians, Germans, Vichy French and Iraqis. He was killed in action with the Japanese 02/02/45 in Burma. He has no known grave. Perhaps one day he will be found and buried properly as this soldier was. R.I.P to them both.
Wow! Huge respect for your grandfather! I hope you and him get closure one day.
@@TheAceDestroyer It's my Mum I feel sorry for; he was in France when my Mum was born, he came home in 1940 but she was born in March 1940. Then he was sent to North Africa, Iraq, back to North Africa and then home in 1943 which is the only memory my Mum has of him, sitting on his shoulders being carried up the road. Then he was posted to Burma. We always hoped that someone would find him.
@@grendelgrendelsson5493 O7 Bless him. Oh, dude. I cant see why we cant spent 200 billion$ in the next 20 years on finding closure for families like yours.. We´ll spend a trillion cleaning the oceans in the next 20 years if we know what is good for us.. that is a 200B$ social respect project. Nothing too much but enough.
Hold how did ur grand daddy fight the iraqies in 1945? Or later?
@@OrangeCub14 The Iraqis had a pro-Axis revolt in 1941 and would have cut off oil supplies. My Granddad was in a contingent of troops sent there. It lasted only about a month but there were insurgents being unpleasant afterwards. Then he went back to North Africa.
Long hair, Facial hair, and tattoos in the German army during ww2?! Gotta love it! A warrior and rebel at heart! A truely rare breed! Much respect!!👍
He looks like Burt Lancaster ....
Klaus Akkermann I was thinking that he was the German version of Oddball from Kelly’s Heroes
The shaved-head German Soldier during World War II is a Spielberg myth
Yea, the Nazis had undercuts and just regular 40's hairstyle. His hair wasn't the problem, it was his beard.
His military appearance looks more like our modern day spec ops community.
War is war , but being human should always be priority ….. This man had it !!!!! As a Pole I admire Kurt …….
No wonder your nation fared so badly. Full of idiots like you
@@dougrobbins5367 just stfu
@@dougrobbins5367 you are the Peak example of Why disabled People shouldt be allowed to Touch a keyboard
@@tavish4699 The empty, worthless nature of your comment is quite typical. None of you nazi cockroaches can ever make any sense, or do much of anything besides come out with insults, like a toddler in a sandbox. That should give you a clue, idiot.
@@dougrobbins5367 Not all German soldiers or people were Nazis. The man had a conscience otherwise he would not have risked his life and military career to put an SS on his ass to protect a Russian POW. Your comments are out of order Sir.
Standing up to a SS soldier abusing a Russian pow, and putting him on his ass.Very brave and honerable soldier.
It was a polish volunteer, many of foreing volunteers in the whermacht and SS to take revenge on soviet bolsheviks. The soviet Union commit atrocities and massacres in Poland when they invade the country in 1939 so many poles were looking for revenge
@@ELViejito100 To date that discussion continuous between Poland and Russia, ridiculous.
Daniel Stone
Bravery in its truest form
I would fucking say so!!!!
During this war my father fought with the Americans in the Third Armored Division. While my Austrian uncle fought for Germany with the S.S. They were both in theatre at the same time. After my father died when I was twelve. My uncle raised me. It is men like Kurt Knispel who honored their country without dishonoring their humanity. Just like my pop, and my uncle. Politicians lie to their people and send them off to kill or die. These men. Like Knespil, my dad, and my uncle. Showed me what it means to be a man. I am honored by their actions. Make no more war.
Peace. Thank them their courage. RIP!
Thanks for posting.
Schlaf im Himmel!
Gott sei dank für Ruhe!
Then your Father served with the best in WW2,: 3 AD, the Spearhead Division. MG Rose was a hard charger and and was killed in combat in Germany, March 1945
@@MrFligemon Thank you for remembering the brave, G.I's. Their actions in that war still honor our nation today. Dad was one of the men assigned to liberate Mudhausen. And then Police Vienna, in the 503rd MP with a French guy, a British guy, and a Russian. He was training to become the first graduating class of Federal Sky Marshalls when cancer took him off this Earth.
Peace!
Well spoken Thanks
that is interesting, since the 3rd armored division was supposedly wiped out by 5 king tiger tanks. even their general was killed in the king tiger ambush, the last tank battle on the western front which ironically resulted in a german victory. the fools had their M4A3E8 Shermans and halftracks advance far ahead of the tank destroyers. as a result they had nothing to confront the king tigers and where annihilated. when the tank destroyers finally arrived the king tigers were waiting for them and they too were annihilated. then the king tigers ran out of fuel and had to be abandoned. they won their final battle but could not win the war. you sure he did not serve with the 3rd Army and not the 3rd Armored. though i suppose he could have survived if he abandoned his tank before it went up in flames.
@@joshuaplotkin8826 Wiped out? Not hardly. Nor can we say the Tigers won the encounter since they were abandoned. Half or more of all Tiger losses were due to lack of fuel or breakdown. American losses in that encounter were painful, but not significant enough tactically to make any kind of difference.
As a former tanker myself, I have a large respect for this man. Rest in peace, fellow warrior: one day you and I shall drink beer together in Fiddler's Green.
he would have killed you in your tank
And I and you and our reinforcements...
No, you will join the dirtbag in hell, you worthless piece of human garbage
Doug Robbins how unlucky we're that the wrong side won the war ;( at least we won't have these kind of people like you
@@dougrobbins5367 Really you're going to call a Russian a nazi and insult his language skills? So ignorant. Bet you can't even speak another language. Also don't think your self so above others, you've never had to risk your own skin and would probably have walked the same path soldiers of all nations have walked. Theoretical you is always so much braver than actual you.
Kurt in my book was the best warrior you can imagine. Not nasty to helpless people like many, but death on wheels to those brave enough to attack him face to face. He could not have lived as long as he did if he were not a genius of movement, gunnery, tactics, and machinery. and lucky
His remains were found, and now he has a Soldiers Grave!
@@thetruth-xb4yh You seem like a very bitter and angry little man, all your recent comments are on this video trashing this dead dude. Pathetic of you.
the truth Lol a guy who has a name like “the truth” is bound to be an asshole.
@@venator0405 YOu support the worst crimes that have ever happened on the earth, and you call someone else pathetic?
No wonder you assholes lost.
@@strawberrypoison7964 A guy with the name "mayhem death" is just another mentally ill asshole, of which there are hundreds of millions.
@@strawberrypoison7964 A nazi calling someone else an asshole?
Ridiculous
Knispel seems to me like the panzer troop version of the fighter ace Hans Joachaim Marseille. Certainly no Nazi, and had a problem with authority. Yet was incredibly skilled.
Just a few more kills than Hans, too!
oh yes he is the Marseille of the tanks
Marseille was deeply respected by his cohorts, maybe as the best pilot of the war. Hopefully Knispel was too.
I agree.
The man flew by an allied airfield just to send a letter to his enemy on the sky
He almost survived. Just a few days before the defeat of Germany. 😭😭
There is no life after third reich. But maybe one good man would have changed that if he doesnt get accused of war ''crimes''.
@@Haxer19 Escaping to the west or South America
@@Haxer19 the allies never committed war crimes. never.
@@MrBrookcantdance i hope thats sarcasm because im prety sure bombing the shit out of citys is an holocaust too. at least a crime against humanity
@@autisticgrace Just shut the fuck up. The bombing of Dresden, was a plan to kill civilians, and cause panic.
Not all German soldier are evil. This man is one of a kind. Salute to you sir!
I like the way you think thank you respect
True true, most were force to commit things they don't want to
Sorry I'm dyslexic and I really do try
Know it's ok you did not know thank you respect to you thanks again
He died fighting wars of murderous aggression. Boo Hoo.
The knight without the knights cross! A true panzer ace
Knispel probably got more kills (190+), but he was often to polite and to gentle, so he granted much kills to fellow tank commanders, who also tried to hit the enemy tank in sight.
This is the greatest tank ace of all time (in my opinion)
such a gentleman-just kill people
@@thetruth-xb4yh It's called war, mate.
@@maximilienfrancoisderobesp202 -he was a loser-got killed for the nazi cause-pure evil
Honor has its price. Thank you for this video. Rest in Peace brave soldier.
This guy DESERVED the Knight's Cross.
He should have resieved one but because he argued with his officer they didnt give it to him.. I dont know if this is 100% correct but i heard that it happened somebody happened like that.. sorry about my english im Austrian.. ^^
@@heastoida8993 He was denied one for defending a Russian prisoner from getting beaten. He was virtually cursed afterwards.
@@benlaskowski357 ah ok.. i wasnt sure what he exactly did but you made it clear for me.. thx
@@heastoida8993 It's cool. Cheers.
@@heastoida8993 suposedly it was rejected the 4 times it was proposed . they said that incident of the pow . was the reason to not giving him the medal
Iron cross or not... Kurt Knispel lives on in the hearts of many . A revered and respectable human being admist the craziness and brutality of WW2 .A champion of chivalry and honour.
It Is hard to believe that he did not receive the Knights Cross. But the reasoning is the possibility he had issues or the Higher Nazi authorities had differences. " Knispel's slow promotion is attributed to several conflicts with higher Nazi authorities (for instance, he assaulted an Einsatzgruppen officer whom he saw mistreating Soviet POWs) and general lack of military bearing, sporting a goatee and hair longer than regulations. Only his impressive track-record saved him from ending up in a military prison"
Knispel seems to have been the real-life equivalent of the fictional American World War II tank commander nicknamed "Oddball" from the movie "Kelly's Heroes."
He was German, just because he came from the Sudetenland does not make him any less with German heritage. Knispel had issues with the Nazi party, and striking a SS officer did not help him much for his promotions. Hell I live in America, does not make me any less proud of being German and for the love of my heritage. The only reason why he was not court martialed was because he was already legend in the Panzer Korps and protected by some high ranking Heer staff officers. That being said Knispel was a very humble man and was never decoration hungry.
I thought he was Suebian.
Apart from his ethnic background, which could have been most likely what the Nazis called a “Volksdeutche” (I know all about it, because all of my Mother side are the ones), what really intrigues me is his ability to destroy a really tough to destroy IS-2. T34, even the 85 variant did not really stand much against the Panzer VI. But IS-2 was specifically designed to be a match, so to speak.
@Charlie Brand The Wehrmacht would not have known nor would they have really cared. They didn't keep individual kill counts for tank commanders. They considered that silly. Why decorate the TC, and not the gunner who actually fired the shot? Or the rest of the crew? Never mind that the Wehrmacht (sensibly) discounted between a third and half of all reported kills; post-war analysis shows that about 40% of claimed kills actually didn't happen.
You want the SS for this sort of nonsense, as well flat-out lying about the actions of such "aces". Wittman wasn't alone at Villiers-Bocage, for an easy example. Or post-war apologists like Kurowski.
Both my grandfathers fought in the war. I find it sad that in Germany we can't even look up to those who combined bravery, skill and sense of duty while having a noble heart at a time when it was far too easy to succumb and digress into a fascistic sadistic person while being applauded for it.
Thank you for remembering this skillful brave soldier and for giving me back some of my identity and heritage. May peace be with us all, now and forever.
history is always written by the winners ...so nobody knows of their atrocities... they will always blame Germany...even though the most atrocities were made by communists.
@@johnkonstantopoulos8192 How can you write such garbage?
@@1m1r0z with the ...mouse...
@@johnkonstantopoulos8192 that's a unique technique, almost everyone uses a keyboard. Well done.
@@1m1r0z i hope one day you will wake up....and since you have a keyboard search the damn net..!
Say what you want, he was a hell of a tank operator and a true bad ass! For him to be have survived so many engagements and come out on top up until the very end. What a brave solider.
Советские танки были слепые и глухие.
What a disgrace after all the battles he fought bravely, he ended up with being just a Feltwebel (Sergeant first class). Shamefull
a true killer should have been at least a sergeant second class
Joris De Laat not sure he was all that bothered tbh
Honestly I think he did not care about this stuff. He was in a special situation anyway since usually a Feldwebel would not have gotten in a position to be the commander of a Tiger 1/2 tank, which shows that people were aware of his abilities which he knew.
Also a short anecdote of what my grandfather told me: During the time of the war it did not matter what rank you had on your shoulders. If you had the honor of wearing an iron cross or above on your chest, even officers would hold open doors for you, that did not.
He was probably more upset about his head imploding from a soviet shell hit just 3-weeks before the war’s end tbh
They wouldn't promote him any further because he hated the Nazi Regime and fought for Germany
Knispel was the very best Germany had to offer, as a man, a hero, and gallantry. No one in his family should ever think Kurt was not the epitome of German strength and virtue.
He was born in Czechoslovakia, not Germany
A fine man, doing his duty as a fighter but showing his humanity at the same time. These are very interesting videos.
yes i am sure he would not have put you in a concentration camp-only your neighbor
I am sure by now we can tell the stories of brave German soldiers as well.
@@dougrobbins5367 THEY WERE NAZIS. No German citizens and MOST military WERE NOT Nazis.
frik van niekerk ,well times are changing again 🤗🤨
*salutes*
Kamrad (friend)
A brave and honourable man who died fighting for his fatherland! It would be interesting if a nice movie is made about this Panzer Ace. Thanks! for uploading this video. It is touching to note that Kurt Knipsel cared for his fellow human beings even if it was an enemy, indeed a noble man.
Another Great video. I did know about Kurt Knispel and thanks to your video I now know more. Hopefully this will help bring him the recognition he deserves. Many Thanks.
Yeah, it's really a shame he is not as well known as Michael Wittmann for example.
Excellent commentary. Your command of English & German is excellent. The video & the audio blended into an enjoyable whole. I think this is the finest CZcams warrior's biography that I have seen. You are clearly doing what you should be doing - you've found your talent: producing videos that make history come alive. You showed me that Kurt Knispel was a man & a warrior. I salute him.
Thanks a lot! This truly means a lot to me! Thanks!
Well said!
He was nazi scum. Criminal swine
@Anthony Lalangley I see. And what were the nazis?
The german army murdered twenty million unarmed russian civilians.
That's a disgrace, you slobbering moron.
You have no more intelligence than a chicken, and you are deeply perverted, as well.
Come along now, try to make a point of some kind.
Prove me right.
Doug Robbins dude, whats wrong with you? Go troll somewhere else
Men who fought against unbelievable odds 86000 Soviet tanks rolled in and these brave men fought tooth-and-nail completely outnumbered until the end he died the last few days of the war because they were fighting tooth & nail they didn't run amazing
What a amazing story, people need to understand that the majority of men who served in the German Army Airforce and Navy were not Nazi Party followers just brave men just like the allies
He seems to have upset the SS! I read a book about this guy years ago, what I remember was he had a natural ability to handle shooting the cannon. Like it was part of him.
I have seen a photo of him in one of my WW2 books about German tanks, but I did not realize he was not awarded Knight's Cross. If the story about what happened in Kharkov was true, he must have been incredibly honorable man.
The Knights Cross was not only the highest award but also the most political. Knispel never got "an itchy throat" and since he didn't "play ball" with the political side of things, some of those Boobs wearing red stripes around "The Little Corporal" never would have approved the award for him. Hearing Knispel's story puts me in mind of what happened to Steiner in "The Eagle has Landed" by Jack Higgins. Perhaps it is a case of Art imitating life.
I was thinking of that Eagle Has Landed scene as well.
@Charles McCarron Well, think about the sort of "leadership" you were dealing with. "History" was warped to suit OKW's and Hitler's mood almost every hour of every day. Couple that with the vast destruction of so many wartime records in 1945, together with the amount of it captured, hidden and altered by the Russians after their capture of Berlin in 1945
@Charles McCarron History is always in motion, along with our understanding of it. The people whom I have interviewed on both sides have a unique commonality of experience. The most insightful points of view that I have encountered come not from Officers and the "Leadership" but from the common soldiers who passed time in mud, blood, and terror. Knispel was, I believe one such man. In the African Deserts, there was "War without hate." My Rommel reference earlier was in regard to one of the many tragic things about war. How good people can be trapped into so much obscenity and hate, by "leaders" who never face what the common soldier faces.
@@rocistone6570 ...or what happened to Steiner in "The iron Cross" by Sam Pekinpah.
Kurt knispel a legend of his time rest easy you were the best of the best rip
*Happy face*
I was not like most guys but i would have hangout with you
Having been in a mechanised force myself, it still astonishes me what these boys achieved. Fantastic equipment with outstanding men.............
Ahh, Kurt Knispel, the only German tank commander that were rocking a beard.
A beard was normally prohibited in the German army I believe (note sure though). But again, Knispel showed insubordination to literally anyone and anything. If one man could do it, it was him.
@@TheAceDestroyer Yeah I do think so that it was very taboo to have a beard in the German army, I bet it'd have to be something about dishonering the Aryan look or the like, could be an answer, don't know.
Well, of course that is an expection, since they couldn't spare it so that's a special circumstance.
Why are you suddenly bringing that up? It have no context in my comment thread.
Are you throwing insults at me now? What a lovely chap.
Rest in peace , kamaraden. Even though u didn't survive the war, we historians and German WW2 fans and WW2 buffs will keep Ur name alive in our hearts as one of the greatest tank aces ever. Danke sheun , for caring for the enemy, and your own men.
Weren’t you paying attention Shimon? He destroyed 168 tanks. You know they had people inside them, right? How many hundreds of men burned alive is that? He clearly did not care for the enemy.
@@GrooveyTuesday well dude , i meant to say the Jew as the enemy. Sorry if u didn't get that. And also , I payed attention to the tanks he killed. Ikt these machines are created and operated by men who will kill other man made and man operated tanks. It was part of their duty unfortunately. This shud also go for the other men that we look up to as heroes : they killed other people too. So we can't say anything much on this point now , can we?
So few truly care about accurate history outside the historians who look beyond what political ideology dictates.
Yeah man
@@GrooveyTuesday you didn't get it
He was a talented and skilled natural warrior. Who cares what nation you are from or when you served, that talent demands respect.
Kurt hasn't been forgotten. Seems pretty relevant
Czech archelogis found that he was killd by sranpnel from altilery becouse he had ofen open hatch as others tank comanders for better awernes. Srapnel hit him on side of his head.Some of his crew survive a they said that they heard bommm outside of tank (altilery) and Kurst sudenly fell down on his seat with blood all over his head (his crew thinkt that he was kild by sniper).
where are you from? ive never seen such english
Fritz Kühne Although his use of English is not perfect, his message is perfectly clear. So I challenge you, say something productive to the discussion, or say nothing.
@@lazaglider lol i just thought its some kind of accent
no need to be rude
@@fritzkuhne2055 I wasn't remotely rude. Also for reference, accent in this case refers to the spoken word, so I'm not sure how you can detect an accent from written words.
@@lazaglider south african and aussi dialect can be identifyed in written form. but dont count me on that, im just a native german speaker
I Wonder what he was thinking right before the end , may all the warriors on all sides rest in peace.
Probably thought about his life and his family.
Probably cursing the Tiger II for being the unreliable clunker it was
@Stefan Urban one shell in the right place from a t34-85 or IS-2 were able to destroy a king tiger,tigers front armor was strong but from the sides it was weak
@@CynicalOldDwarf as another has stated here, Most Tanks were 'unreliable" if they were not maintained. Tanks are EXTREMELY High Maintenance. If you don't service them every few hundred miles, and replace high wear parts regularly, they will all break down.
Look at the Soviets for instance, they had the same issue the Germans did.
Lack of Parts availability and capable Engineers/Mechanics. So often when a Soviet tank broke down, it stayed there and was simply replaced by another.
The Americans and Brits had the advantage of Industry. There were am abundance of spare parts, lubricants, fuel and entire corps of Engineers and Mechanics to keep Allied tanks Rolling.
The Germans had excellent designs, but didn't have the industry nor resources to keep up with the maintenance requirements of all their armoured battalions.
So when German tanks broke down, they were often hastily repaired with whatever was available, and skipped much needed servicing. And by the late war, most mechanics were being pressed into combat roles themselves.
So given the astounding odds being stacked against them, The German tanks held their own pretty well I'd say. ^.-.^
@@Beuwen_The_Dragon bruh he was just mentioning a true fact, the tiger 2 was too ahead of it's time to be reliable
Ich habe einmal einen Kommentar gelesen und lange gelacht:
Tiger Crew: Commander... 25 Sherman umringten uns
Tiger Commander: Oh, zer gut! Wir können jetzt in alle Richtungen schießen!
you're right....I had never heard of him before. Honorable soldier, RIP
A true warrior with great heart. How unfortunate he did’t survive at the end of war.
to bad he was not aborted
@@thetruth-xb4yh u just wanna be half as great man as him my grandfather talked about Knispel (i am austrian) and he said he was a brave soldier and good Man.
the truth
I sense jealousy
@@thetruth-xb4yh a butthurt Soviet
@@imwilllliwmi Of what? Hitler-sucking perversion? Not likely.
Kurt Knispel was definitely not well liked by the Nazi believers of The German Armed Forces.
He was probably a bit of a rebel in a way. His ability to kill tanks probably kept him from getting into extreme trouble.
Many German soldiers of all ranks were fighting for their country and definitely not for Hitler or The Nazi Party.
Kurt Knispel was most likely not the type of person, who would have cared much about medals anyway since these would almost certainly have been approved by the type of people he most likely despised.
Another type of soldier that springs to mind would be Gotthard Heinrici. He was a German General Oberst in The Wehrmacht. He was despised by Hitler and never made Field Marshal for that reason. He career makes for quite good reading as well. He was never a Nazi and actually considered The German High Command insane.
Rommel was actually his adjutant before he rose higher in the ranks.
He, like Kurt Knispel, never hated their enemy. They did their duty for their country as they saw it. They were fighting for Germany, not Hitler.
Erwin Schrödinger nope.
@@TheDesertwalker Idk if u are American, but Americans fought for their country in the middle-east. Even if the gouverment wanted to secure ressources and keep countries week.
although i see your point there, it's just thinking ways to little differentiated. Of course as a soldier you are trained in what you believe is 'defending your fatherland'. But if you go to attack 'to defend' anything, your alarmbells have to ring. I mean, i don't buy the whole we fight against bolschevisme thing. my grandfather was even part of the ss as a dutch. But i can never free him mentally from the question of fault, because he supported a war started by an insane ideologically blinded higher command. if you come to that point, you probably have to consider protecting your fatherland is giving up. Just from the logical perspective the shorter the war would go on, the less of your people, your infrastructure etc. would be destroyed. To sum it up the whole: 'we have to go to war, because someone told us, the others are the problem' is just a massively spread excuse to me...as long as you don't just defend your homeland in a way of how the law describes self defense, you're just part of the system too.
@@TheDesertwalker you're full of shit, if your country calls you serve, unless you're a coward. Do you really think the average German soldier was fighting cause he wanted to kill Jews?
Tim K dude.... your a neonazi
All politics aside, a brave and honorable soldier, abiding by the code of honor, is to be respected, regardless of the uniform they wore. He served his country and his unit as best he could, and treated his enemy with due respect. May he rest in peace, and may his name and deeds be known.
Thank you for sharing his story sir.
amen
Good german pronounciation probably the best i have heard in this genre
Clearly not a Russian mockumentary then.
1m 1r Brillante Video, takes a lot of balls, to tell the truth 🤗
wow what a great story!! Thank you so much for the video!! He certainly was a true hero both on the battlefield and off.
May i say you did a great job on this video very professional people dont understand you need to respect your enemy this man was a great warrior forget the nazi part look at the man. May he rest in peace
Ron Reuwer From What I know, nobody really knows if he actually was a Nazi. But regardless, Nazi or not, I choose to see him as a Hero.
He wasnt a Nazi at all
Knispel care about the well being of his enemy. He was truly a hero
and how many tanks etc. of ''the enemy'' he destroyed w/ people in it !
@@secular13 its war idiot....what was his other Option? Run Away and get shot by his own People? In war People die her over it pussy
I was just a random wehrmacht soldier life changes fast in war :,(
Today is his Birthday... Salute to The Legend...❤️❤️
I respect this man.
He showed respect to a pow Russian
A true warrior.
I knew him, but not mich of him. Thank's to you I learned more about him, and his reasons of becoming a great tank commander, He wasn't a bad man like some people think, he was the opposite of all that, he had his own mind and dreams, he even helped the soviet prisoners who were being abused. Also, He was also trying to defend his country. He deserves respect.
He showed humanity and was punished for it . Impressive man who made his own luck . At the last he fought and was given a proper funeral unlike so many still lying out in the cold . To all decent soldiers like him VALE .
his empathy for an enemy combatant is what cost him the rightful recognition he deserved
He received the Iron Cross in the next life. He knew where the real Iron Cross was
A soldier Of soldiers the very best
Tanker of all time recognized or not I salute you
R.I.P. Hero of the fatherland 👍🏻
One of the last Soldiers of Europe. 😐
A "Fatherland" being run to death by the worst sort of evil men the world has ever seen Men Like Knispel match men like Rommel, who detested the political side of war, and in the face of it paid a price. We remember men like Wittman, who became a propaganda tool, much like Rommel. His loss was more than one for Germany One can only imagine what men like Knispel and Rommel might have contributed to NATO and a free Germany if their lives and talents had not been thrown away by a cadre of madmen, dedicated to ruining the world, and Germany along with it. I think we award him something far beyond The Knights Cross when we remember the sort of man Knispel was in the face of so much evil.
Al Franco. Fuck him and fuck the murdering madman he served.
john mcdonald
You must be ignorant to military history I don’t care about your political views I have a different view what I see Stalin as an evil man Winston Churchill but again you must like the bolsheviks what they murdered over 60 million mostly christians in the goulash camps all over Russia.
Let’s not forget about the Eisenhower camps after the war during peacetime
Like I said you must have a dog in this fight because history does not support your ideas I was not being political shows saluting a great soldier like it or not
@@alfranco7467 fully right, Franco, agree with You.
Brave and skilled soldiers deserve respect does no matter the side they were acting.
Germans have right to have, remember and salute their heros, too. Those guys were only soldiers, far from being evils and Aces were not take part in operating death camps.
Just a small sidenote : goulash is a Hunagrian traditional soup while communists were operating the Gulag, the biggest and longest lasting death camp systemever existed. Not to be mixed up.
I really enjoyed this....I was in the U.S.Navy in the 70s but always have been a student of WWll and especially German Armor...you my friend are very well read and make an interesting video....I never heard of Kurt Knispel before but learned a lot from you today.....stay safe and thank you
Wittman: *destroyed 100+ enemy tanks*
K. Knispel: "hold my Schnapps! "
Otto Carius: "Hold my Bratwurst"
Best tank ace of all time, underrated and forgotten. He was also a Wehrmacht not an SS. He was in and out a military man without politics and he could only get Feldwebel which was an NCO rank of sergeant
Kursk was the biggest and greatest tank battle in history in terms of numbers and tank casualties, many said it was Battle of El Alamein was the largest tank battle., which was false.
Not only been ace of ace, he was kind of man that respect not only his comrades but his enemies as well. I have big respect for Knispel.
Great story, a man of honour.
Indeed he was
This man needs deeper research material available, this video was amazing! I just wish more were known about him...
I have read some references to this Tank Ace. Great picture of the man.....smiling. You do a very good service to rememder and confirm thier participation in history that is very recent.
Just a soldier not a monster... Great piece of history almost gone unnoticed..
very interesting a true hero and gentleman by the sound of things, looking forward to your other videos, thank you
Well done story! Much appreciated. This is the first video I've seen of yours and I'm impressed. I'm looking to view more.
Great video. So many men like this on all sides that never got the recognition they deserved as human beings.
As an an American Tanker I say "Hell Yeah!"... Honered Enemy of my Grandfather, Not Tainted by the "SS"... Rest In Piece Brother!!!
And your misguided comment takes nothing away from my own comment. Have a present day...
F-Man; Goodness lad, you know it all already and as such arguing with you would be pointless. On a side note, I don’t know you well enough to exchange anything more than weightless insults, which would be a further waste of time. Sorry you seem to be having a bad day. I wish you happiness in whatever floats your boat.
F-Man; You do have a certain flair for humor. Keep the jokes coming as the saying goes, good humor leads to good health. And my friend I wish the same for you, a long and happy life. Cheers!
F-Man; take care lad, it looks as though you might be running out of steam. I’d recommend getting some rest and healthy food. You should be back in top form in no time at all. As the saying goes: If you don’t have your health... life, love and happiness become difficult to suffer. Best wishes from America... -B
F-Man; No lad, I’m having a great day, thank you for asking. I do however have unscheduled work to get done today. As such I don’t have unlimited time available to work on cheering you up... So hang in there boy, for though you feel stormy today... The Sun’ll Come Out Tomorrow!
I'm surprised yet a bit sad that almost nobody has ever heard of me. Life goes on, I guess.
salute to you fallen soldier, may you rest in peace in Valhalla
Dude 😂 seriously?? That being said, a lot of people have heard of the guy, it's just that Wittmann HaD yA BeAT
@@fabiana7157 wait what? How would wittman have me beat? That doesn't make sense to me.
@@sukhoisu-24fencer3
In terms of popularity. You should have praised Hitler and his friends more 🙃
@@fabiana7157 I wouldn't have done that in the first place.
Despite him being an enemy you have to admire his courage and service as a soldier. No doubt if he had of been a US tanker a movie would have been made of his life
david corbett I don’t think men like him were the real or true enemy. He was just another countrymen fighting for his country with dignity and honor as well as compassion. If given the choice I’m sure he’d rather solve a war peacefully instead of causing bloodshed
@@ifoundmemallet3394 nah, human life meant nothing during this time. WW2 was a kill factory
@@destroyerarmor2846 Doesn't mean he wanted it Soldiers did just what they were trained for you think they wanted to be in this hell on earth seeing friends die having fear that you can die leaving your family and warm bed and sleep in the dirt no i don't think they wanted this
Wittmann
Carios
knispel
Legends never die....
I definitely didn't die.
Legends of murdering bloodthirsty swine, the lowest form of human life.
You stink, mister
these 3 men destroyed 456 tanks. what a number.
@@ScharfeMesser A million nazi fraulein drilled in the ass by Ivan the
Russian. What a number.
@@dougrobbins5367 get help. You are clearly unbalanced psychologically. Good luck. I hope it works out for you.
Almost anyone that has spent time in the service of their nation must have a grudging respect for this very worthy adversary. He went out like a warrior, standing up, fighting to his last breath, fighting not for ideology but for his teammates. Rest easy.
Thank you so much or this beautiul documentary on a courageous warrior,
Happy to see that you enjoyed it!
Thanks for the video, I've read about Knispel but seeing it was great.
Pretty sad Knispel's remains were found only a year after his friend Rubbel died.
to bad rats did not eat him
His friend Rubbel didn't die. He survived his wounds and lived to be 92 (as was mentioned in this narrative)
@@thetruth-xb4yh .........
did you even watch the video?!??
thanks,for the great document.a real hero!
As a US Marine tanker... His tank skill and bravery is unreal....
Remember the German army was not part of the Nazi party.. They were just troops.. Now the Waffen SS.. They were Nazi soldiers.. Don't mix history
Waffen SS were different in nature.
Some units of Wermacht were transferred to SS without consent of their commanders since 1944
And Waffen SS organizationally was part of SS so it's like armed wing of party/ But operationally it was de facto the part of Wermacht. They always cooperated with different branches of armed forces
Also there were some Nazis in Wermacht. As fore some high ranked was Karl Doenitz
So the truth is not so clear as it seems
Ss was elite like marines, by your logic and recent 50 years of U.S stupid wars gistory will judge you as demon for serving in marines you dumb rootless anglo colonial product. Oh and btw imbecile, Germany fought for free Europe against capitalist-materialist marxism. They were defeated by 80% of world resources and we see now what this sick internationalist agenda has done with America and western Europe now with their policies. Foodfor thought before you even judge anything whqt your NPC brain doesnt understand!
Wow. Even a marine recognizes my bravery.
One nation one empire one leader!
Everyone fought for Germany!
And believe in good faith!
Even if you were cheated!
@@Dopinator wrong. these are regular tanker uniforms, however often mistaken for SS due to their black design and the skulls. plz get ur facts right before posting
Very nice narration. Thank you for sharing this history. I was unaware of Kurt Knispel until I watched this video.
Amazing video, keep up the excellent work!
Never forgotten, a true hero.
He was the Hans Joachim Marseille of the Panzer Force, a rarity
Some great, some of it not often seen footage here. Well done! RIP Kurt Knispel, hero.
Thanks for this excellent video. I'm a WW2 nerd and studied the German war machine over and over. You only ever hear about Michael Wittman and Bobby Wohl. Or Guderian, or others. The Tiger I is and always shall be my favorite. What a beautiful machine. - DE
Must be the best tank ace of all time. Great story, thanks for sharing.
A Shame he isn't known like wittmann or peiper this guy was a real warrior and defender of his beliefs he deserves all the recognition he is getting now keep up the great work
Thank you for numerous great videos from Arizona.
One thing for sure, he always stand charming and smiling despite the world around him turn into chaos.
He fight the war but never hate the enemy.
I wrote about him in Lithuanian Wikipedia page. Like 10 years ago :D
A true soldier who did his duty as such , but also had the decientcy as a human being to also respect his enemies when they were conquered or surrendered!
Thank you. A really good and well narrated history of his actions and himself. Keep up the great work.
Thank you very much! I'm glad to see that you enjoyed it!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge of the war
I wish I could've met some of these amazing tank aces. Otto Carius, Michael Wittmann, and Kurt Knispel. Plane aces as well, but I only know of Eric Hartmann.
Imagine the stories they could tell if they were still around.
Sure, they could tell you what hitler's ass tasted like, you sick creep
Comradely greetings from Germany
Erich Hartmann
Id love to hear stories from those Elite German units attached to the 6th army in Stalingrad.
Some of those Units fought tons of Battles & killed so-many Soviets before they were Killed, it was probably like a Video-Game. They say the early battle-hardened German ambush teams had the equivalent of a 10:1 Kill to Death ratio.
Most people think the Germans walked into Stalingrad & got Whooped - lol.
(The Wehrmacht Killed almost 1-Million Soviets in less than 6-Months)
You can only do so much before you are eventually: Over-Run, No Ammo, No Food or in Stalingrad --- Freeze to Death.
So many Heroes died in a 30 mile (50 km) area - its beyond Insane.
-Rip to All the Soldiers Killed during the Bloody-Battle of Stalingrad.
Other aces: Gunther Rall, 275, Gerard Barkhorn, 301, and Walther Novotny, 258.
*Love that you´re one of the few YT or media historians that can actually pronounce German words properly.* Makes me wonder hat nationality you are but never mind, not important.
Thank you! Truly interesting info.
As a German I hear that he's not a native speaker. But you're right. He's doing a great job on that. Way better than most.
That was fascinating and well told. I was aware of Kurt but did not know the history of the man, many thanks for uploading.
No problem! Very happy to see you enjoyed it!